Uhler's Wood Cockroach

Parcoblatta uhleriana (Saussure) (Plate I', figures 6 to 12.)
1862. I{$chnoptera] uhleriana Saussure, Re-. et Mag. Zool., 2e ser., xiv. p. 169.
(.April.) [cf, Pennsylvania, i^*^] 1862. P[latamodes] ufiicolor^^' Scudder, Bost. Journ. Xat. Hist., vu. ]>. 4I7(November.) [6 cf, Massachusetts.] 1S62. E[ctobia] lithophila Scudder, Ibid., p. 418. [juv.. Massachusetts.] 1903. hchnoptera intricata Blatchley, Orth. of Indiana, p. 186, hg. 28. (In part.) [ 9 : Crawford and Steuben Counties, Indiana. ^^s]
Coincidence in time resulted in Scudder's synonym iniicolor,^''^ while his synonymous lithophila is attributable to the ill-advised description of immature material. Failure to associate the sexes resulted in the description of the female as intricata, since which time that sex of the present species has been without exception recorded under that name, or, due to further incorrect association, as the female of /. johnsoni.
Males of this species have been generally confused with those of P. fiilvescens and P. virginica (as the synonymous /. boreal is). Compared with Julvescens close similarity is found in size, general
^^^ Taken by the describer.
i"The records of subsequent authors of Ischnoptera unicolor, with two excepiions, apply properly either to males of virginica, or to material of that species and males of the present insect, in which case the presence of two distinct species was overlooked. The exceptions are of Floridian material, recorded by Scudder and Blatchley, representing males of P. Julvescens.
158 We here select as single type of Ischnoptera intricata Blatchley: figured 9 ; Crawford County, Indiana, VII, 2, 1902, (W. S. Blatchley), [Blatchley Cln.]. The male described as this species, with some doubt, by Blatchley, is also before us. It is a specimen of Ischnoptera deropeltiformis Brunner, which, killed when recenth' matured, had not attained its full coloration.
1^" Scudder has given twice the correct length measurements in his description.
coloration, specialization of median segment antl form of supraanal and subgenital plates. In uhlcriana, however, the head is normally more flattened between the eyes and ocelli and darkened medio-longitudinally; the pronotum is proportionately shorter, with point of greatest width normally mesad and the curatLire of the cephalic and caudal angles more nearly similar, while the discal sulci are more pronounced; the tegmina are distinctly broader; the ridges of the median segment more decided, and the subgenital plate, at the base of the dextral style, not decidedly elevated. The cerci are extremely distinctive in having the inner distal angles of the sixth to ninth joints acutely, though weakly, produced and in consequence differing appreciably from the corresponding outer angles, a feature not found constant in any other known species of the genus. i*'"
The female sex is distinctive,'" particularly in the tegmina, which are lateral, but broadly and roundly subtriangular, while vestigial wings are present. Confusion can consequently occur only with the female of P. dcsertae, which is a more slender insect, with interocular space wider, tegmina decidedly narrower, w^ith sutural margins less convex, mesal production of sixth dorsal abdominal segment distinctly less broadly rounded, and distinctively shaped supra-anal plate.
The highly specialized ootheca of the present species is of an entirely ditTerent type from that known for any other species of the genus.
Characters of Male. — (W'hirciiiarsh, Pennsyhania.) Size nu'diuni for the genus, form moderately slender, hiterocular space two-thirds (to slightly less than^") the width between the antennal sockets. "^ Ocelli well defined. Inter-ocularocellar area appreciably flattened to a jioint just above the antennal sockets, with surface microscopicalhroughened. Maxillarpalpi more elongate than in P.
^^^ A production of the distal cereal joints is founil in poisylviUiirn. Though occurring in both sexes of that species, it is found to be indixiduallx' e. r(.-nu'l\arial)le and ot no diagnostic importance.
1^1 The females referred by Rehn <ind ilebard in their Re ision to uhleriana, are here properly referred to fulvesceus; at that time no differences could be found between the females of these supposed geographic races. The confusion arose from the incorrect placing of the female of uhleriana as that sex oi johnsoni { = Ischnoptera deropeltifonnis).
"'The variation in this dimension is similar to that found in virginica, see footnote 144.
1^' In the series slightly less than, to slightly more than, the intiTocellar width. bolliana, third joint slightly long(;r man lourth or fifth joints, which latter are (normally) subequal in length. Pronotum with greatest width at mesal point. i'^^ with angles of cephalic and caudal margins (normally; showing a similar curvature; oblique sulci of disk very decided and as in virginica. Tegmina and wings much as in virginica; wings (in the series) with two to six incomplete and five to eight complete rami of the ulnar vein. Median segment supplied mesad with two weakly arcuate, moderately raised ridges, which are weakly convergent cephalad, with brief cephalic faces each supplied with a heav}tuft of hairs, the surface of the segment is further supplied with minute scattered hairs cephalad of these ridges. Other dorsal segments unspecialized, distal margin of sixth segment showing very feeble, lateral, broad concavities and a very feeble, broad convexity mesad. Supraanal plate about twice as broad as long, free margin embracing bases of cerci, very weakly convex about them, thence nearly straight, convergent to broadly rounded apex; surface of plate convex above cerci, evenly deplanate and declivent distad in remaining principal portion. Cerci slender, with (normally) eleven joints, decreasing evenly in size distad. the sixth to ninth joints with inner distal angles acutely but briefly produced, i" (jenital hook situated sinistrad, a chitinous process recurved at decidedly less than a right-angle, moderately elongate, with recurved portion well broadened; mesad and adjacent is situated a very elongate process, with distal chitinous portion aciculate and cured weakly sinistrad. Subgenital plate with surface moderately convex, e.xcept toward bases of styles, where it is moderately concave; lateral margins weakly convex and very weakly convergent in proximal half, very weakly concave and more strongly convergent in distal half, the concavity slightly greater, but its extent distinctly less, on the dextral margin, remaining distal portion of free margin nearly transverse, very weakly concave and slightly oblique, due to the slightly greater sinistral production of the plate: simple, slender styles, similar in size and form, situated at the rounded disto-lateral angles of the plate, in sockets on the ventral surface, in length (normally) each equal to about half the distance between their bases. Exposed portion of eighth dorsal abdominal segment, which is folded over the base of the subgenital plate, decidedly short, no longer than exposed portion of seenth ventral abdominal segment.
Characters of Female. — (W'hitemarsh. Pennsylvania.) Size medium, form broad. Head broader and more evenly convex than in male. Interocular width slightly greater than that between antennal sockets. Minute ocellar spots present. Pronotum moderately convex, without discal sulci, ample, with point of greatest width near caudal margin, which is truncate, very weakly convex; the lateral margins
^^ Rarely individuals show a condition more nearly as in fiilvescens, with point of greatest width slightly more caudad; due to a weaker convexity of the caudal margin of the pronotum, or to a slight broadening of the curve of the lateral angles of its cephalic margin.
'^ In occasional specimens the degree of production of these angles shows slight differences. In but one, of the two hundred and twenty-nine males before us, could the cereal structure be confused with the simple type found m fulvescens, this character being one of the most useful in separating the males of these two species.
cephalad (normally) feebh' more convex than in virginica. Tegmina rounded, subtriangular, lateral pads, with sutural margins (normally) separated by slightly over I mm.,"^ extending slightly beyond caudal margin of median segment,^" sutural margins rather strongly convex to rather broadly rounded distal angle, which is situated at the moderately convex costal margin; veins distinct but not prominent. Wings represented b>' very small atrophied pads, their apices extending (normally) slightly beyond caudal margin of metanotum.i^* Sixth dorsal abdominal segment with distal margin distinctly, but broadly, convex in large mesal portion. Supraanal plate distinctly more than twice as broad as long, lateral margins weakly concave and convergent from bases of cerci to rather broadly rounded apex. Cerci shorter than in male, with lateral margins nearly entire, ^'^ with joints distinct and dorsal surface very feebly convex.
Measurements {in millimeters)
_^ Length of Length of Width of Length of Width of
*--' body pronotum pronotum"!) tegmen"' tegmen
Wollaston, Massachusetts (2) 13.7-13.5 2.9-2.9 41-4-3 16. 3-16. 4 5-6-5-4
Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania (27) 16-16. 5 3 1-3 -3 43-4-9 16.1-17.7 5 3-5 -8
Washington, District
of Columbia (9) 13. 7-15. 5 3-1-3-2 4-3-4-7 iS-J-i? 5-6
Raleigh, North Carolina (7) 15-17 3-3-3-4 4-8-4-9 16. 7-17. 9 5.8-6.1
Asheville, North Carolina (68) 15-17 3-1-3-4 4-4-5 173-18.7 5-7-6-3
Clayton, Georgia. .. . (2) 15. 5-1 5. 7 3.4-3.6 4.8-4.8 18. 7-1 8. 8 5-8-5-9
IMossville, Illinois. .. . 15 3.4 4.7 17. 2 5.7
St. Louis, M issouri ... (4) 1 3 . 31 6 . 5 3-3 .6 4 . 3-4 .7 1 61 7 . 7 5 . 3-5 . 9
Iowa City, Iowa (2) 15 -5"! 5 3-2-3-3 4-3-4-7 16. 4-1 7. 4 54-5-9
^^'^ Rare specimens show slightly less separation, while this dimension varies individually to nearly 2 mm. in certain specimens.
1^^ The large series of females before us, shows decided variation in the tegminal length. Frequent specimens have the tegmina extending only to the caudal margin of the metanotiun, while in rare e.xamples these organs extend nearly to the caudal margin of the first abdominal segment.
1"* In individuals showing variation in tegminal size, a proportionate variation in the wing pads is found.
1"' Normally showing an extremely feeble crenation meso-distad.
'"' The pronotal width is given as accurately as possible under the conditions here found. The pronotum is usually somewhat distorted in trapped material, abnormally buckled up, while in papered material it is sometimes more flattened out than in life.
^^' The length of the exposed portion of the tcgmcn is given for females. Q Length of Length of Width of Length of Width of
body pronotum pronotum tegmen tegmen
Sherborn, Massachusetts (2) 12-13. 3 3-7-4-2 5-3-6 3-3-3-9 2.9-3.3
Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania (383)11.7-15 3-4-4I 4-9-5-9 32-6.31" 2.7-3.7
Washington, District
of Columbia (123)11.7-13 3-7-3-9 5-5-4 3-4-6 2.8-3.3
Asheville, North Carolina — 3-9 5 7 42 3.2
Clayton, Georgia li 3-9 5-3 3-7 2.8
St. Simon's Is., Georgia 12.3 3.8 5.6 3.4 3.2
Opelika, Alabama. .. . 9.8 3.5 4.8 3.2 2.5
Crawford Co., Indiana (2) 11. 9-12. 7 36-3. 7 5-7-5-3 3-'^-4-2 32-3
Mountain Grove, Missouri (11) 1 1. 5-14 3-''~i-4-2 5 4-5-9 3-7-4-3 3 -1-3 -2
Bloomington, Iowa.. . li 3.8 5.5 4 3.3
The 'ery large series of females before us shows interesting variations in the tegmina. Slight variation in size is frequent, while the margin of the discoidal field is sometimes nearly straight, or often shows varying degrees of weak concavity.
The optimum of the present species is apparently found in the southern Appalachians; little geographic variation, however, is apparent.
The number of heavy spines on the ventro-cephalic margins of the cephalic femora is variable, and of no diagnostic value in the majority of the species of the genus. The following count, for one hundred specimens of each sex of the present species, shows the great instability here found.
Number of Spines 2-5 3-3 3-4 3-6 4-4 4-5 4-6 5-5 5-6 5-7 6-6 6-7 6-S 6-9 1-4
Number of Males o 2 4 i 9 25 4 26 15 i 7 3 i i i
Number of Females. . . i 3 8 o 9 30 i 30 16 o i 1000
Counts made for other species, but not included in the present paper, show considerable varial)ility in each, but, as in the present species, show a count of from four to six of these spines on each cephalic femur in a large majority of the specimens.
'"-Two sjiecimens, in this series alone, of the nine hinulred and seventy-two females before us, show this very unusual tegminal length. The extreme distal production in both is found only in the costal field. The average tegminal length for females of
uhleriana is 3.5 to 4 mm. no NORTH AMERICAN BLATTIDAE
Coloration. — cf. (Normal.) General coloration ochraceousbuff with disk of pronotum and tegmina slightly darker, tinged with ochraceoLis-tawny. Head tawny, shading laterad to ochraceous-buff at the antennal sockets and genae ; eyes blackish brown ; ocelli pale ochraceous-biiff. Tegmina transparent. Wings hyaline, faintly tinged with ochraceous-tawny, this slightly heavier distad in the anterior field and decidedly heavier, as heavy as on the tegmina, in the costal area. Abdomen ochraceous-buff , washed with ochraceous-tawny distad. In specimens of maximum recessive coloration, the ochraceous-tawny is everywhere more dilute, the vertical cephalic marking, however, never disappearing. In the intensive extreme this marking is tawny above, but mars brown below the ventral margin of the eyes; the tegmina being deep russet, with the exception of the marginal field, which is weak ochraceous-tawny.
9 . (Maximum recessive.) Head, pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum ferruginous, the former slightly paler on the genae, the latter narrowly margined with blackish brown caudad. Tegmina kaiser brown, with marginal field ferruginous. Dorsum of abdomen blackish brown, with numerous segments narrowly bordered proximo-laterad with ferruginous. Eyes blackish brown.

Parcoblatta uhleriana, the Uhler's wood cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta native to the United States and Canada. It is a forest species also found in disturbed and urban environments. The male of the species flies freely, while the female does not fly.